


Storm

by kayethespade



Series: Kiari Ryder [4]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, nb ryder is custom, the poly is present but is not the focus, torture mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 15:50:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10597251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayethespade/pseuds/kayethespade
Summary: Kiari Ryder found out some things about the King of Kadara, and she's not going to let it go.





	

Kiari stormed into Reyes's section of Tartarus with a fire in her eyes. There he was, sitting pretty on his throne...couch...couch-throne. He looked almost smug when she entered, but the glare towards him and her clenched fists wiped that away in the space of a blink.

"I found the Collective base," she said through set teeth. His face paled, and he couldn't say anything. "How long?"

"What?" Reyes choked out.

"How long have you known the Collective have been torturing people?" Kiari snapped. Her biotics shone at her fingertips. She took a deep breath and held the bridge of her nose for a moment.

"I ordered it," he said meekly. His voice sounded hollow.

"Why? Give me one good reason to justify this," she ordered.

"You won't accept anything I put forward, will you?" Reyes growled.

"Maybe I won't. Maybe I will. I need to hear your side of the story to decide. Just like I did with Sloane," Kiari said, calmer. Her eyes shifted from anger to hurt.

Reyes nodded. "Sloane hired loyal people, I'll give her that. Information didn't come easy."

"At some point, they'll say anything to get the pain to stop. You don't get good intel, and you know it. No. This feels personal," she determined. Kiari paced the room with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Can you leave it to rest there?" he asked.

"Can you guarantee me that only Outcasts were tortured?" Kiari shot back.

Reyes looked down at his hands. "You don't know what it was like under Sloane."

"Answer the damn question," she said. By some miracle, she kept her tone even and cold. Reyes stared her in the eye, challenging her. Begging her to stand down. Her glare hardened.

"I cannot guarantee that," he answered.

Something twisted in her gut. "I'm going to ask you again. Why? What justifies this?" Angry tears rolled down her cheeks freely. It only made her more terrifying.

"Sloane's key and prominent sympathizers had to be made an example of to ensure that the keys to power would fall in line once the coup was accomplished. Some of them were civilians, but they were by no means innocent, Ryder. That was were I drew the line," Reyes explained.

"Be straight with me, Reyes. There's still something personal that doesn't add up for me. What happened to make you hate Sloane this much?" Kiari pleaded.

"I brought my little brother with me to Andromeda. I couldn't let him stay on the Nexus alone after the uprising, so he came with me to Kadara. I was out on the job when a rival of mine working for Sloane took him. Zia and I got him back, but he was so badly beaten and..." He stopped. His fists clenched. That same vengeful fire in his eyes departed far from his normal cool finesse.

"God I hope you're not bullshitting me right now," Kiari whispered to herself. "Okay, fine. If anybody hurt, let alone killed, my brother, Lord knows what I'd do."

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Finally, Kiari walked over and took a seat beside Reyes on the couch.

"What was his name? What was he like?" Kiari asked. Reyes smiled bitterly, and he visibly relaxed back to his former position.

"Mario Vidal. At the time, he was thirteen years old. He wanted to study Andromeda's plants and animals when he grew up. He loved the piano. The color purple. He thought everyone had the potential to be good. Even Tann. Even the exiles. He prayed a lot. He was a biotic. He was...a lot like you," he said.

"Huh. Interesting," Kiari muttered.

"What is it?"

"I'm just thinking about why you became friends with me when I could’ve just been a business contact. I guess you see him in me," she explained.

"Heh. I guess I do," Reyes said. "When the Collective took Kadara port, I sent the order down that the torture stops. The order has cycled through. Anybody still doing so is no longer under my command, and the galaxy will be better if you killed them."

"I'll be glad to," Kiari replied.

"So...still friends?"

"Well yes. You at least gave Sloane a mercifully short death," she said. "That's more than a lot of people can say for their enemies. More than she could have said for most of her enemies and subjects."

"Thank you," he said.

"There is another matter to discuss. Collective crime at port has increased, though it's noticeably absent at the outpost. I'm thankful for that, but it's not exactly encouraging to have the only port city on or off planet dominated by crime and poverty," Kiari continued.

"Ah. I'm doing the best I can for impoverished families. Still, certain people are having a difficult time acclimating to the regulations I'm handing down. Business limitations, avenues for stopping more unsavory industries and practices, the works. There will also be a long adjustment period as my people get used to no longer being at war with Sloane. And the kett, thanks to you. If I can discourage them, I will," Reyes replied.

"You're stopping the illegal activity?"

"Not all at once, but eventually, I hope for this place to be a hub for reputable industries. The people here shouldn't have to resort to crime to make a living," he said. "Ironic, coming from someone who smuggled for profit, but I want to do right by you."

"How long can we expect this process to take?" Kiari asked.

"Generously: five years. Optimistically: two years. Most likely: three years. I will require some of your personal support to convince good companies to bring their business and manufacturing here. The minerals will be enticing on their own, but they need to put some of their money into the local economy for it to improve here," Reyes suggested.

"Fair enough. I'll see what I can do," she said.

"We'll make a colony world out of this place yet, Ryder," he encouraged. "By the way, a little birdy told me that you're in a happily committed relationship."

"Who-...Vetra?"

"I would never reveal my sources, Pathfinder," Reyes teased.

"It was Vetra, and I'm an idiot," Kiari laughed to herself.

"So is that a yes?"

"You know the angara I always bring with me?" she said.

"No way. You're pushing what I can believe," Reyes chuckled.

"It's true. I met his mother. And she loves me," Kiari bragged. She couldn't help but smile. He was right outside the door and could probably hear all of this.

"I can't see how. You are objectively terrible."

"Don't be rude!" she ordered indignantly.

"So what is Jaal like? I hear he doesn't particularly like Kadara," Reyes asked.

"Gee. I wonder why. It can't have been the heat or the wildlife or the poison water or the overabundance of shady people or the incredibly slow doors," Kiari snarked.

"Alright. I see your point, but it is getting better. I hope that he'll eventually like it here."

"It's a pipe-dream, but at least it's a dream," she sighed.

"What about you, Ryder? What's your pipe-dream?" Reyes asked.

"I want to teach piano when this is all over. No more guns or politics or outrunning Remant purification clouds. Okay maybe some guns, but less guns than usual. Just music," Kiari confessed. Reyes looked at her with disbelief.

"Liam was serious when he said he'd gotten you a piano?"

"Yep. I want to try to adapt the piano for species with less fingers to work with as well," she added.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't expect you to want to settle down. It's a bit jarring coming from you," Reyes said.

"It's a little hard to believe I ever will. There will always be one more person who needs the Pathfinder. Just one more. When I settle down, I don't plan on getting back up, but if I do, whatever draws me out of retirement will have hell to pay."

"Oh trust me. Whoever dares take you from your wonderful boyfriend will answer to me as well," he teased. "Do you think you'll marry him?"

"It's a little soon to say, and the cultural differences are going to take some getting used to. Maybe? It depends? I hope so because who else am I going to find who’s so perfect for me. Who knows what I’ve gone through. It’s a little isolating to say you’ve died twice,” Kiari replied.

“If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be here for you,” Reyes promised.

“Is this a roundabout way of hitting on me?” she asked.

“Hell no. You are too much for me to handle,” he assured with a laugh.

“Okay good. I remember telling you I wasn’t interested from the start, and I’m still sticking to that,” Kiari said.

“I’d expect nothing less from you.”

“Besides, happy committed relationship with my wonderful boyfriends,” she sighed.

“Wait. Boyfriends? As in…more than one?” Reyes asked with an easy grin.

“Uhhh…”

“You sly devil, you!” he yelled, patting her on the back. “It appears as though Vetra was not aware of this.”

“How would it look if I said I was in a poly relationship with two of my squadmates? That’s not really something I can announce to the public,” Kiari muttered.

“You set the standard, Ryder. You decide what’s normal around here. If two people who care deeply about you and each other is the norm for you, then I’d say Andromeda may not be so bad,” Reyes encouraged.

“Thanks, Rey. I’ll be around in about a month to check progress. Maybe earlier if I find I need something from the port,” she said. Kiari stood up and made to leave.

“Tell your boyfriends they better treat you right!” he yelled after her just as the door was opening. Jaal and Liam were standing there with equally expectant and smug looks.

“Not one word,” Kiari growled. Without another word to Reyes, she started jogging back out of Tartarus and off towards the elevator.

"You rejected the guy right out of the gate?" Liam asked.

"Words!"

Reyes smiled to himself as the door shut behind them.


End file.
